Courtney White, a veteran documentary producer, will oversee all series development and production for Travel Channel, the cable outlet that is part of Scripps Networks Interactive.
White has been a senior programming executive for HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country and will now be senior vice president of programming for Travel Channel, which will relocate to Scripps’ Knoxville, Tenn., headquarters in 2016, after being housed in Chevy Chase, Md.
Scripps purchased a majority ownership stake in the network in 2009.
White’s promotion is one of the first made since Scripps named Kathleen Finch its new head of programming and content in August. White “has an intuitive understanding of what it takes to make hit shows on a consistent basis, through great ideas and execution,” Finch said in a prepared statement. “Courtney is a hands-on executive with a proven track record of driving ratings across genres, and her leadership of programming at Travel Channel will be key to our work to grow that network for the long term.”
White joined Scripps Networks Interactive in 2005 as a program development executive for HGTV. Some of her long-running hit shows include the “Beachfront Bargain Hunt” and “Hawaii Life” franchises, as well as special events including “Ellen’s Design Challenge” and “Selling Spelling Manor.”
